Thanks Frank, when I looked at the picts I also liked the blue color on the cross. Unfortunately it's protective blue tape. The final panel will be all polished brass with clear acrylic balls at the end of the wavy rods.

Jake

There is some iron somewhere. With me it's usually a tweezers sticking out of the pot. But could be filings, dipping the piece and letting the tongs get in the solution, or even dissolved iron in the water used to make the pickle. I agree with Bill On those tight areas that you can't get into with your buff. In jewelry we use a technique called thrumming. A cotton cord is impregnated with compound. I've used this string method with my jewelers saw. Cheap cotton clothesline in a hacksaw or cooping saw just might do the same thing. looking good
Brad

cool, I do that to bj, but I don,t know if it works on this scale. you can also use rough leather

mostly with pickle/ copper plating its copper already disolved in the pickle that plates. maybe there is an ellement or metal in your welds that binds more easely with the pickle than copper(hard proces to describe phisics in english,). as a result the pickle(whe use desolved sulfuric accid) lets go of the desolved coper witch is plated, and binds with the new ellement. this is what happens with iron and aluminum in pickle
try using new pickle, with no copper oxides in them.
if that doesn't work, a friend and former master of mine, willem jonkers III usses ferrichloride. bit agresive but you could try it.

let me know if you find something, hope you can cope with my english.

ambition

Thanks Ambition, your english is just fine and I appreciate all of the help I can get. My girlfriend does jewelry work out of copper which was probably in the pickle. Also, the filler rod was low fuming bronze. Not sure if that cause the copper deposits or not. We're going to try it with a new batch and see what happens.

Jake

Thanks BJ, It wouldn't surprise me if the pickle was contaminated. We've been doing the testing in my shop which obviously has iron everywhere. We're going to try it again with a new batch of pickle and more care. We'll let you all know how it turns out.

Jake

Thanks Bill, talked with Casey and the pickle very well might be contaminated. we're going to try it again with a new batch.

Jake

Okay make all of the new pickle you want but you still will have some copper showing. I have made quite a few items from brass. They were brazed with low fuming bronze rod. Now since they were too large for the pickle tub I mixed up some pickle in a spray bottle. (sulphuric acid ...battery acid 10%) Squirt squirt all over the brass and watching the oxidation melt away. Squirt squirt some more now the brass is clean, but wait there is a copper residue in some places. Grab the scotch brite pad, little elbow grease and it is gone. No known iron at all, well maybe very very little traces of iron in the water???? I think that the copper just creates a fine film on the brass from the welding process. It does take a little bit to remove. No simple solution that you have on your project. But there are some different wheels from 3M called bristle wheels or something to that nature. They come in different grits and work dry. Little 1/4" angle grinder and have fun or go small with the Foredom.  wowsy that is a long one. warren http://www.metalrecipes.com

Thanks Warren, That's exactly how I will have to apply the pickle to this project as well. We are trying two more samples today and then we'll dig in. If we have to use extra elbow grease, then that's just what we'll have to do. I've never seen those 3M bristle wheels before, have you used them? They look handy and would like to know if they're as good as they look.

Jake

The only one of the products that I have used are the Radial Bristel Discs such as Part number 3M Id : 61-5001-5336-8
These are the little ones that you stack up on a arbor in a flexshaft. They work very well but a little expensive. Also kind of a pain because you have to make sure you have in the correct rotation and you put two or more on the arbor. But do give a very nice finish. If wanting more shine I use those little white brushes on shafts and some rouge. There are also the little rubber abrasive wheels that work great too.
Here is site that I walk in locally and get to pick and choose from the rubber wheels. www.armstrongtool.com
Look at the abrasives page 1 and 2.

warren
http://www.metalrecipes.com